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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Free Pattern: Diaper Stacker

About once a week, two-year-old #1 pulls the stack of diapers off her dresser and scatter them all over the room. Since her little sister inherited the diaper stacker, I decided to make one matching her decor, to hang out of her reach. This would also be adorable to match a nursery or crib set.

This is the biggest project I've done in awhile. The instructions might be a little complicated, when sewing the pleats and moving up to the decorative top, but it's really a simple concept. If you think of a better way to do it or explain it, please leave a comment!

Bottom: (note - this bottom is very stretchy. Though it is not pictured, doing 25 rows of 30 or so single crochets would be much sturdier.)
Ch 35
Row 1: Dc in 6th ch from hook. *Ch 1. Skip one ch, dc. Repeat from * across.
Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in ch space between dcs. *Ch 1. Dc in next space between dcs. Repeat from * 8 times. Dc in next ch (for the rest of the pattern, in top ch of ch 3).
Row 3: Ch 4, turn. Dc in ch space between dcs. *Ch 1. Dc in next space between dcs. Repeat from * 7 times. Ch 1, dc in next ch.
Row 4 – 12: Repeat Rows 2 and 3. End with row 2. Finish off.

Sides:
Side Row 1: With wrong side facing, join yarn to the center dc of the beginning chain of the bottom square, working in front loops only, sc around the entire square. Do not join.
Side Row 2: Ch 4, turn. Dc in second sc. *Ch 1. Skip one sc, dc. Repeat from * around. If you end up with an odd number, ch 1 and dc in the last sc.
Row 3: Ch 3, turn. Dc in ch space between the dcs. *Ch 1. Dc in next space between dcs. Repeat from * in each space around. Dc in top of ch 3.
Side Row 4: Ch 4, turn. Dc in ch space between dcs. *Ch 1. Dc in next space between dcs. Repeat from *in each space around. Ch 1. Dc in next ch.
Side Row 5 - 12: Repeat rows 3 and 4. At the end of row 12, finish off.
(note - stacker pictured has 25 rows, but when in use it stretches to about twice its original size, so I cut down the number of rows in the pattern.)

Top:
Count 9 spaces in on each front flap of Side Row 25. Mark the spaces with stitch markers. Then count 18 spaces on the back, holding your fingers in the spaces while you count the spaces on each side. Find the back 18 by moving your fingers until the right and left sides have the same amount of spaces between the back 18 and the two front nines. Using stitch markers with closures (or safety pins), clip the corner spaces together. Pleat the left and right sides in.

Attach the yarn to the corner with the back side facing. Insert hook through corner space and first space on each side of the pleat (through four layers), (sl st, ch 1) two times. Insert the hook into the next space through all four layers, (sl st, ch 1) two times. Continue along in the same way until the pleat runs out. Then you will just go through two layers. When the front-side flap runs out, pick up the other front-side flap and insert hook through two layers. Watch for when you need to pick the pleat up on the other side, inserting through four layers again. Continue repeating *(sl st, ch 1) two times in each space* until the end. Ch 1, turn.

Top row 1: Sc in the ch 1s (I think. I was working with black yarn, at night, which is so hard to see, so I really don’t know where I was inserting my hook, except to say I was always inserting through two strands of yarn, about twice per space from the side rows. It’s important to insert through two strands of yarn, since this will be weight-bearing.) (36 sc) (I ended up with more, but it won’t matter for the rest of the pattern.) Ch 1, turn.
Top row 2: Sc in each sc across. (36 sc) Ch 2, turn.
Top row 3: *Dc in first sc, sc in next sc* across to the end. (If you had an odd number of stitches, either add (dc, sc in the same sc) or skip (either just skip a sc or do a decrease) to make it an even number. Eyeball it as to which you should do to make the top more the same width as the bottom.) Ch 2, turn.
Top row 4*Dc in first sc, sc in next sc* across to the end.
Top row 5: Dc dec in first two st. Sc dec in next two st. *Dc in next st, sc in next st* across 14 times or until you have 4 st left. Dc dec in next two st. Sc dec in last two st. Ch 2, turn.
Top row 6: Dc dec in first two st. Sc dec in next two st. *Dc in next st, sc in next st* across 12 times or until you have 4 st left. Dc dec in next two st. Sc dec in last two st. Ch 2, turn.
Top row 7: Dc dec in first two st. Sc dec in next two st. *Dc in next st, sc in next st* across 10 times or until you have 4 st left. Dc dec in next two st. Sc dec in last two st. (At this point, I was running low on yarn, so I decided to stop. You could keep going in the same way to make more of a rounded shape and have more room to decorate, if you want. )
Attachments:
Continuing from Top row 7, *ch 15. Finish off. Attach in same st, ch 15. Finish off.*
On opposite corner, repeat from * to *.

Finishing:
Weave in all ends. Decorate with appliques.
I used the trailing leaves pattern from The Hook Hound, my Tulip-like flower and my Five-Petal flower.
Be sure to sew them on loosely - with plenty of room to stretch. The weight of the diapers will stretch the stacker quite a bit.
Optional: Cut a piece of heavy cardboard to fit the bottom of the stacker. This will give shape to the bottom, like a store-bought stacker, but I chose not to use it in mine, so that the stacker hugs the diapers better. Pictured below is the stacker loaded with size 5 diapers.

I made this stacker as my first project ever. It has stretched with the weight of the diapers and is almost touching the floor from where I tied it to the top of the changing table. Any tips or suggestions about how to fix that?

Mine has stretched to twice its original size, too. The best way to fix it is to do the bottom in single crochet, and to cut down the number of rows on the sides from 25 to about 10 or 12, I guess. I am going to make that change in the pattern.

Hi, Alli. I'm Dina and I'd like so much everything you done. Now I'm in my daugthers house in New Zealand but I'm from Brazil. You're giving me a lot of ideas for my granddaugther who is coming. Thanks.

I have been trying this pattern for about too much times :) ans i cant figur something out... already at the bottom... i'm dutch and i need tot transfer it 2 my language, but if i am doing it it english it doesnt make sense to me either.... let me put here what i mean (in big letters) :

Ch 35 Row 1: Dc in 6th ch from hook. *Ch 1. Skip one ch, dc. Repeat from * across. Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc in ch space between dcs. *Ch 1. Dc in next space between dcs. Repeat from * 8 times. (BUT IF I REPEAT IT 8 TIMES I DON'T COME TO THE END OF ROW 1 OF CH?? Dc in next ch (for the rest of the pattern, in top ch of ch 3).

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN.... YOU CAN ALWAYS E-MAIL ME ON CHANTALVD@LIVE.COM.

I love this pattern but I am also stuck on how to do the bottome part .How many stitches should you have in row 2 and 3 ...please email me if you could for better understanding. I would love to make this.I need help to understand row 2 and 3 for the bottom and how many stitches you end up with and where do you place your first stitch...sooo lost...any help will be greatful.email me at joyceann150@centurylink.net

Better late than never. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit the bottom. May need several layers of cardboard to get the stiffness desired. Could also create a wire (or tautly stretched cording) cage for the base and up the four corners to the top and across the top....completely stopping the stretch or at least minimizing it.

Author

I'm Alli, and I love making crafts, especially for my three girls! Crochet is my main craft. Free patterns got me started, so I am now sharing my own!

If you need to contact me, email allicraftsblog AT gmail DOT com.

Thanks for visiting!

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Patterns written in US terminology.

All patterns posted are my original patterns or significant modifications of others' copyrighted patterns. For copyright information see the bottom of each pattern. All pictures were taken by me unless otherwise noted and are included in the copyright. Do not duplicate or use pictures without permission. Please respect all copyrights.